Mystery Solved!

Hi Fellow Bloggers!

I know you were concerned about Opie! Let me put your worries to rest. He is much, much better. In fact, he’s fine now. So what happened?

What was wrong with him?

Well, the vet’s receptionist actually made an accurate guess based on what I told her?

Opie was stung in the paw by a bee.

Here’s what we think happened.

Opie went outside to take care of some personal business and do his usual squirrel patrol. Two days ago when this happened, it was a nice sunny day. I think it was about 74 degrees outside. I know my lilies and geraniums were blooming quite nicely as were a number of other plants in the neighborhood. So, even though it’s currently raining and 54 degrees outside right now, two days ago it was a beautiful day, a great day for bees to be out and about foraging for their hives.

Opie at some point encountered a bee, maybe it got stuck in his fur, maybe it entered the house with him and before my husband could close the back door. (Here again another reason to get a doggie door! Stop the entry of flying insects through the open back door!)

When my husband returned from picking the kids up from school — I stayed home to keep an eye on Opie– Michael found a dead or dying bee inside the house in the front door entryway. It did not have its stinger!

We had a 4PM appointment with the vet, and at 3:50PM Opie and I were on our way. I told the vet what we’d discovered. I should mention that by the time we got to the vet, Opie had STOPPED walking on 3 legs. He was walking on his sore foot. He’d spent the entire time at home with me licking and chewing on it.

Dr. Miyazaki gave Opie a very thorough examination and started really examining Opie’s affected paw. She spent a long time looking at each individual little pad and “finger” and finally said, “Aha! What’s this!? She pulled out a quarter inch long black stinger from in between his pads. YIKES! If I hadn’t been so busy holding Opie still during this examination, I’d have taken a picture of it. But here’s what it looked like.

I couldn’t see the little jagged parts, but based on the fact that we have regular bees in our neighborhood I think this is what it must look like under a magnifying glass or microscope. A bees stinger is attached to the abdomen, so when the bee stings its victim, half its belly gets ripped out. Sometimes that belly part is visible on the surface of the skin. The venom sac may be attached there as well. Neither the abdomen nor the sac was visible on between Opie’s pads, but he’d been working on it with his tongue and teeth for about 2 hours. Luckily, he is not a dog that has a bad reaction to bee stings beyond pain.

She saw only the slightest little inflammation around the sting area and he had no signs of stronger reaction.

HALLELUJA!

Bee sting reactions in our pets can run the same range of severity as those in humans. Some dogs are going to go into anaphylactic shock and possibly die and some are going to be mildly irritated by the pain and that’s that. We were lucky that Opie is NOT allergic and didn’t have a severe reaction. He was bothered only by the sting itself and didn’t have any swelling or difficulty breathing. His pooping in the bedroom and hiding must have been based on fear of the flying insect that hurt him. Opie already has a definite fear of flies. He’d like me to keep that under wraps, but he goes a little nutty if we get a fly in the house. I imagine he’ll be even worse now.

Dr. Miyazaki finished off our appointment with a fast-acting cortisone shot to make his paw a bit more comfortable and then we were good to go. Opie has been fine ever since.

I know other bloggers have written about how to deal with your dog if they are stung by a bee, but I want to share what I’ve found out as well. This is a particular problem for anyone who lives in an area where there’s no real winter. As I said, it’s currently about 54 degrees outside and raining, but where we live, all those clouds could blow over during the night and tomorrow it’s 82 and sunny. It is possible to have a heat wave on Christmas day here! This is of course FABULOUS! But it also means that our “Bee” season never really ends. A couple days before this happened I recall finding a dying bee in the driveway. He could have been dying because the temperature dropped unexpectedly that day, or from that “bee” disease that’s been going around. The point is that if you live in an area like mine, please be vigilant and about bees. This could have been a horribly tragic incident. If Opie had been allergic, he could have died before I could get him even to the emergency vet. My kids would have come home from school to tragedy!

Bee Sting care for Dogs

Okay so here’s what I found out about regarding Bee sting care for dogs.

If you are lucky enough to witness the sting, check your dog immediately and find the sting area

If the dog has been stung in the mouth or face or ears don’t waste time…RUN, not walk to the vet! Call your vet immediately and grab your car keys! A dog stung inside the mouth is serious business, especially if the tongue begins to swell or the dog tried to swallow the bee or wasp. This kind of a sting can cut off their air supply and become life threatening quickly. So don’t let any grass grow under you feet. Hustle your bustle to the vet.

To treat a dog’s bee sting, the first thing you need to do is to remove the stinger. Do not use tweezers to remove the stinger. Tweezers will squeeze more venom into the wound. Get something with an edge to scrape across the surface of the skin to remove the stinger. Dr. Miyazaki used her nails and a tissue, but she’s an expert. My nails are not nearly long enough and my stomach is not nearly strong enough (Yes, I’m a pansy!) A bee sting will have a venom sac attached; a wasp sting will be more cone-shaped with barbs.

If your dog is not displaying any signs of severe swelling or difficulty breathing you might have time to make a little poultice to ease his pain. Personally, I’d just take the stinger out and hustle my bustle to the vet. I’m not a vet so I’d rather pay the cost than lose my dog because I was worried about the cost. I’ll talk more about how much Opie’s bill was in a moment. So, if he or she looks okay and you have to wait around to go to the vet anyway you can make a little poultice of baking soda and water. A little vinegar soaked pad will also counteracts the venom. By the way, this works for humans too. A mud pack will also draw out toxins; you can also make a little poultice of crushed plantain leaves. And let’s not forget about a little antihistamine, like Benadryl. However, I’d hold off on the OTC stuff. The vet is bound to have better drugs and you don’t want to cause a problem by dosing your pet before the vet can give you something more effective, or better. Additionally, you’ll have to consult them about dosage anyway. A good old fashioned icepack is also useful to bring down the swelling.

Here are the things to watch out for after the sting.

Labored breathing, wheezing, fast breathing, anaphylactic shock, collapsing, vomiting, diarrhea, pale gums, trembling or weakness, pale gums, excessive drooling, a fever or agitation.

If your pet exhibits any one of these things, hustle your bustle – call the vet and get yourself and your furbaby over there asap!

How do we Protect our Furbabies from the Flying Stinging Menace?

There’s not much we can do to keep the little stinging bees and wasps from bugging our beloved pets when they roam free in our back yards. Opie investigates every corner of the yard. He tracks squirrels relentlessly under the bushes and through the ivy.

However, there are a few things you can do to make things a little safer. We do these things, but as you can see there’s no complete remedy if you want your dog to enjoy the backyard and being outside. I have no desire to turn him into the “bubble dog.”

Here are some measures we’ve taken and that you can take as well.

We regularly inspect the eaves of the house and tree branches for wasp nests and bee hives. I have had to call L.A. County Vector Control twice to have both a bee hive and a wasps nest removed from cypress trees and our 60 year old ficus. We no longer have a significant wasp problem since we cut down the cypress trees (I never liked them) and I regularly “napalm” the eaves of the house when I find a wasp nest.

On walks, just to be nice to my neighbors I keep Opie out of flower beds. He’s not allowed to lift his leg anywhere near them and sometimes we hop into the street if the azaleas are blooming. (Double whammy for him – it’s a tall bush that he wants to mark and it’s a flowering bush where wasps and bees like to forage!) So keep your pups out of the flower beds!

Also be careful about water sources. Bees and wasps like to drink from stagnant pools, and puddles. Occasionally they fall in and drown, but their stingers are still dangerous even after death. So don’t let Fido near it. We have to be vigilant about standing water anyway in our neighborhood and our yard due to the whole disease bearing mosquito issue.

So fellow bloggers. Keep your puppies safe. This could have been a very sad article indeed. Personally, I thank God that Opie is not allergic. We all would have been devastated.

So on a happier note … expect the following postings from Opie coming your way… his Xmas list, A diatribe against flying insects, a rant about squirrels, a poem or cartoon or two, and other topics that he’s been bandying about with me.

 

Have a great day! Give your furrbaby an extra special cuddle from Opie’s Mom

Peace out,

Opie’s Mom

 

 

 

Mysterious Boo-Boo!

Hi Fellow Bloggers!

 

Opie’s Mom here!

 

I have a mystery! Opie is keeping secrets and not the good kind!

 

Please chime in if this has ever happened to your furbaby!

Our day was very peaceful. I was taking care of some family business, yelling at insurance companies, running to the post office, calling and making various appointments for things, synching my phone. Finally, everything was done. Throughout all of this Opie had been lazing about in my bedroom or maybe in his Dad’s office full of the final bit of turkey that I carved off the carcass for him to mix with his kibble. This snoozing was interrupted by his normal harangue against the mail carrier, the UPS guy and the Fedex guys that stopped in during the morning.

At some point in time, my husband let Opie out for a little personal time. I have no recollection of when he came in, but I know I was not the one who let him in the back door. Opie’s taking to taking his afternoon siestas on my bed in the back bedroom so I didn’t think anything of it that I hadn’t seen him for a while.

After finishing all my duties and chores, I decided to take on the mountain of laundry in that room. As I entered the room I saw something that I normally see in the middle of the yard, or on the edge of the flower bed or sitting in the bottom of a blue plastic baggy! You guessed it! Poop…in my bedroom, right in front of my bed!

OPIE!!!!!!!!!

Now fellow bloggers, I’d been dealing with corporate flunkies all day and so I’ll admit my first thought was not what it should have been. What it should have been was, “Why is my fully house trained dog who has excellent bowel control and right now a perfect diet pooping WHERE HE SLEEPS?” That should have been my thought but it wasn’t. Opie came out of the office with his ears and tail down and walking kind of funny. It took my husband me a second, but we noticed that he was limping. Why is he limping?

Okay, we’ve looked and we’ve examined. We can’t find anything. So we call the vet who can’t see us until 4PM this afternoon since all the DVMs in the place are tied up in surgeries. So I’m watching him now to see if I need to take him to the ER Vet ( OMG I HOPE NOT!) They’ve told us to watch him. Which even though I’m typing furiously, I am. He’s chewing on his paw, the paw that we can’t see anything on right now. He’s drunk a little from his bowl and he’s sitting on the cool kitchen tiles.

. … I just took him outside to pee. I am encouraged. He is moving pretty fast on his little three legs, a little less chipper, but there’s some pep in his limping gate.

I’ll let you all know what’s gone on after the vet.

We’ll have to figure out this mystery of what happened to his leg, paw or haunch? And how we fix it? In the 50 minutes that I’ve been watching him and intermittently writing this blog to keep my head from exploding he seems to have perked up a bit.

Wish us luck fellow bloggers. Hubby and I were just saying this AM how much we love Opie. I know we give him a curmudgeonly persona – terrier pride and all that –but the truth is that he’s a pure lap dog. We both talk to him when we’re stressed out. I hear my husband telling him how wonderful he is and complaining to him about various and sundry annoyances during the day, even suggesting that some people might need an Opie bite to keep them in line. Opie lick more like it.

I’ll keep you informed fellow bloggers,

Opie’s Worried Mom – Signing off.

Happy Thanksgiving – I am Thankful for…

Hi All,

Opie here!

As I lay here under my mom’s chair smelling the sweet and amazing smell of candied yams, and the pungent and strangely meaty smell of collard greens cooking, I think that it’s time that I made up my list of things to be thankful for. After all, I live an amazing life. I’m not dead, and that’s good. I was rescued from the pound and that’s great! Lots of my doggie sisters and brothers (and some cats too) have not been as lucky as me. I have to take stock and express my thankfulness for my situation.

So here goes.

I am thankful for my family. They take good care of me even though I don’t get as many walks as I used to and people are always playing loud xbox games instead of walking me, and sometimes my hu-brothers forget to put the extra little cheese or rice in my kibble so that it tastes better. I am thankful for them.

I am thankful for my soft bed even though mama whisked it away yesterday and washed all the good smell out of it.

I am thankful for my bully stick… oh my bully stick…. My precious, wonderful bully stick!

I am thankful for my daddy who gives the best belly rubs in the world and lets me sleep at the foot of the bed. I’d rather sleep nearer his head, but maybe not ’cause he snores so loud.

I am thankful the special treat I know I’m going to get in my bowl!

I am thankful for the mail carrier who never complains about all the mean things I say to her as she trying to put mail in the mail slot. Luckily, she doesn’t understand doggie language.

I am thankful for the squirrels that give me something to chase in my yard. I am especially thankful for the really fat one that that keeps falling out of the tree. He’s especially fun to chase. I almost got him by his furry little tail yesterday!

I am thankful for my grandma and grandpa who give good belly rubs and think that I should be fed more meat, and lots of treats.

I am thankful for all my toys even though some of them are in the toy hospital ’cause I tore holes in them.

I am thankful for Mama who sews up my chewed up toys and lets me chew on her slippers a little bit and sneaks me one of the boys’ old socks when she finds them irredeemably full of holes.

I am thankful that she hasn’t figured out who put the holes in them in the first place.

I am thankful for my boys who give me lots of pets and love.

I am thankful for the car even though lately we’ve only gone to the groomer and the vet.

I am thankful that I don’t have anything wrong with me that requires “OUTRAGES” from the vet.

I am thankful for my big black nose ’cause mama loves it so much.

I am thankful for all the wonderful things in my life that make it wonderful.

I am thankful for all the lovely people who rescue doggies and even cats like me.

I am thankful for all the lovely people who are kind to animals, children and each other ’cause it’s really the best way to be.

Well, I’m sure I’ve left something off fellow bloggers, but mostly I am thankful for you all for reading my blog EVEN when I wasn’t paying much attention to it.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Your Pal,

Opie

Thankful to be Back!

Hey All!

Opie here!

I know I’ve been gone for a while. I’ve been busy taking care of my pack – Mom, Dad, the boys. It’s been a really, really, busy time. Lots of stuff has happened.

First of all, I’m fine. I am doing really well. For a while I had a lot of trouble keeping my weight up. That kibble did not just did not taste wonderful to me. I frequently did NOT eat my breakfast or dinner. Now, though, Mom has been adding a little bit of shredded cheese to my meals. I have to say that’s been great. I usually got a little treat of cheese every day, but Mom decided that a little cheese added to my bowl would really add some “Umami” to my meal. Boy was she right!

So, now I am at the weight the vet wants me to be, and I feel great!

Nothing like being well fed and at the correct weight!

Don’t I look great?!

I find that I’m really rather relaxed and mellow now. Amazing what a delicious meal will do, right?

Unfortunately, some bad stuff has happened too. I discovered that I have a phobia of flies.

I hate flies.

I try and kill them every time I see them, but if I fail. I can’t help it. I turn tail and run and to my shame … hide. Think about it — they are not birds or squirrels. They are part of that tribe of flying things that FIGHTS BACK by STINGING YOUR NOSE! And look at this picture of one I found. Isn’t it creepy? It looks like an alien!

I don’t know about you, but I love my nose and don’t want it to suffer any insult! Especially, by that alien looking thing!

As a result of my phobia, Dad is getting ready to install a doggie door so that after I come back in from a trip outside, nobody has to jump up and quickly shut the back door. Sadly, it’s kind of my own fault that the flies got in the house in the first place.

On the upside, my folks are very sympathetic to my phobia and the boys are quite good at killing flies. Gregory nailed one with his basketball shoe a couple of months ago. Mom was not very happy about him throwing his big size 13 shoe in the house, but I had no problem with it. Another fly bit the dust and that was A-OK with me!

Enough about those rotten, moscas!

Good news for all doggies!

THANKSGIVING IS COMING!

What does that mean for us!!!

Well, I don’t know about you guys, but it means great left overs and add- ins to my kibble. Here’s what I’m looking forward to.

Turkey meat, turkey meat, turkey meat and turkey meat!

 

The other thing I get to look forward to is lots and lots of pets and tummy rubs from my grandpa and grandma who come to visit during my most favorite holiday of all time.

I’ll be back soon to tell you how my holiday went. I intend to have some great naps on my very, very, very full belly!

So, Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

Your Snorkie Extraordinaire,

Opie

Happy Fathers Day to the Top Dog at Our House

 

We Love You Alpha Dog!

I’ll admit it. I’m always begging for your attention.

But it’s only ’cause I love you so much…even more than bacon!

Love,

Opie and the rest of the fur kids.

Oh and Opie’s Mama too!

Boys in the Doghouse

Mama says it’s Murphy’s Law that anything that can go wrong will. Regarding us kids (fur and human), she says there is a corollary that says that if there is a big holiday coming up where good behavior is necessary and a good parental mood is a boon, the kids will misbehave in some way.

Yes, Fellow Doggers, that’s what, happened to me and my hu-brothers.

Here we are the day before Fathers Day. Mama has planned to make Daddy’s favorite breakfast, and we’re already gearing up for some really great Alpha dog favorite activities that everyone is going to love and well… we all messed up. … The good thing is that we did it before noon. This means we have the a good portion of the day left to make it up to Mama and Daddy (if I ever get out of this crate.)

What did we do?

It was all the same kind of thing really. We all got an “attitude”. I don’t really know what that means fellow doggers. Maybe your hu-moms and dads can explain it better than I can. I’ll just tell you what we did.

Let’s start with my big brother! Let me just say first that he’s a teenager.

What did he do? Well, he “sassed” Mama one too many times. How many is too many? Once is enough if Mama’s in a bad mood and she’s in one because of the “sass” the previous day. So, he got a big lecture about “attitude” and “long summer” and “lots to lose”… I didn’t’ pick up all of it. Mama was talking kind of fast.

Now my little brother — What did he do?

He was “provoking” – this is something that happens often. Usually, he provokes my big brother and there’s a little tussle. Then, Mama yells at both of them. This time it was me he provoked.

Now on to me – the prisoner.

I was sitting on the couch as usual keeping watch over my street. (It is mine; no one is allowed to walk on it and especially not on the family side of the street! By the way, when I mean no one, I mean no cats, dogs, humans, birds, squirrels, skunks, raccoons, or other vermin and especially no mail carriers!)

Somebody walked by and I was barking at them, issuing my usual threats. Michael decided that I shouldn’t do that, so he grabbed me. I wasn’t expecting him to grab me, so I growled and snapped at him. I didn’t get him. I just let him know I had teeth.

Mama heard me from the back bedroom and asked what happened. Michael told on me. (To be fair he left nothing out.) She called me “naughty dog.” She said that I am never to growl and snap at her puppies – ever. Then she told me to go to my crate for a time out. I’m not dummy. Mama was really mad ( Still in a bad mood from my older brother!) so I went into the crate with my tail tucked beneath my legs. Mama called me a good boy for doing that but said I needed some quiet time to myself. Then she closed the crate up.

At least Michael got a talking to about grabbing me when I’m in my territorial mode. She told him that I’m not supposed to growl and snap at him, but he’s not supposed to do things to make me growl and snap.

Provoking doesn’t get anyone off the hook with Mama. The provoker gets in the trouble and the sucker victim poor innocent provokee gets in trouble for succumbing to the provocation. Everybody loses. I suppose the lesson is that even if you’re provoked, that’s no excuse. I get it, but I’m not happy about it.

Michael and I are both pouting a little.

I can already see that Mama’s “mad face” going away. My older brother apologized and kissed her on the cheek. My younger brother said he was sorry immediately. He’s already quietly enjoying a movie on Netflix while I’m still in the “dog house.”

Hopefully, I’ll be out of this crate in time for all the cool Fathers Day stuff we do tomorrow.

Wish me luck fellow doggers!

Your Pal

Opie, inmate 23157

Typical Sunday Afternoon with Dad – The Alpha

Hey fellow Doggers,

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, I thought in anticipation of Fathers Day I’d share what a typical Sunday afternoon is like with my Dad.

First, Dad looks for interesting bits in the paper that I might find stimulating.

I do enjoy the Calendar section!

Dad loves it that I enjoy reading the paper with him. He gives me a little ear pet in my favorite spot!

Don’t hate me because I am so, so lucky to have such a wonderful Dad!

 I also like to read the L.A. Extra section. There was an interesting photo on this page that caught my attention.

Newspapers have many uses fellow doggers. Reading is a very useful skill. Last week I found a coupon for my favorite treats! Not that I’m a great couponer, but occasionally, there is treasure in the newsprint, and I’m not talking about “puppy landmines”.

Dad is really engrossed in his reading, but he never forgets the important thing… to pet me!

He’s the one who is always concerned about whether I’ve been fed and not just because I tend to beg request treats from him at his end of the dining room table.

This is so relaxing! I get a little sleepy. This is a wonderful doggy massage. All my squirrel chasing tensions are easing away. Dad, you could charge money for this!

Hmmm. So relaxing…….. No,  don’t stop!

But then I hear something outside and smell something cooking in the kitchen. That wakes me right up!

 Just for a moment and then

Boom… I’m down… eventually Mama stops clicking the camera and I get a good nap. Daddy turns the paper pages very gently so he doesn’t disturb me.

He is truly an Alpha among humans.

 Every day should be Fathers Day at my house! Happy Early Fathers Day Dad!

You rock!

Love Opie

Not the least bit Wordless Wednesday — Australian Artifacts and New York City Blues and other Doggy complaints

Hi Fellow Doggers,

I know it’s been a really long time between blogs. I do apologize for that. I’ve been such a busy doggy – sleeping, eating, walking, pooping, barking, running, playing, chewing, barking, barking, barking. Uh well, I did do a lot of barking lately. No reason, just cuz!

I have to say I’ve been getting lots of pets and cuddles, so I haven’t had a lot of time to dictate my blog to Mom. When Gregory returned from Australia, he was as glad to see me as I was to see him!

Anyway, he brought back a lot of interesting things that I’ve tried to get my teeth into more than once.

This thing is a didgeridoo.

Gregory makes a funny noise from it. I don’t like that noise at all. I ran all the way out of the room when he blew through it. Now I won’t go near it. He says that this is just a small one, that there are bigger ones. The sound that comes out of  this thing makes my fur crawl! A bigger one might make me bite someone. ( Namely, the person blowing the didgeridoo!)

It looks like a fancy bully stick , but it’s not to my taste!

This other thing is called a boomerang.

Gregory says that if you throw it far enough, it comes back to you. He hasn’t thrown it yet. Mom says our yard is too small, and it looks like it might take someone’s head off. Seriously, what good is a stick that will come back to you? Granted, I’m not that great at “Fetch,” but I resent this “Fetch” shortcut. What next – virtual walks? Hmm, I’m not too sure about this thing. I think I’ll chew it down to a nub once I get my teeth into it. It hasn’t made any odd sounds, so it’s fair game!

Gregory does have some interesting artifacts from Australia, but I think the best thing he brought home was himself.

It’s pure misery when I’m missing a member of my pack. It’s almost as bad as when they all run off on “vacation” and leave me at Doggie Central.

Which they did almost as soon as Gregory got back!

I hate Spring Break! Why does everyone think this is a good thing? I mean the term has “BREAK” in it for dog’s sake! Mom, Dad, Gregory and Michael went off to New York City for Spring Break.

I asked Mom really nicely if I could go too, but she said that I would hate the plane ride. I’m too big to fit in a carrier under the seat, and even if I scrunched myself down I’d be miserable and stressed out. She says I’d bite the flight attendants’ ankles.  I’d probably get the whole family  put on the “no fly” list.

Nothing she said convinced me that my going on a plane was a bad thing!

Anyway, they were gone for a whole week, which meant I was at Doggie Central for a whole week! Don’t get me wrong. I like the folks at Doggie Central. They’re nice, and I usually get along with all the other doggies incarcerated boarded there. However, it is NOT home. And even worse, I have to have a bath before Mama liberates picks me up .

Now of course, we are entering the season of summer vacation. I’m a little worried that I might get a “summer cut” like last summer.

Remember this!

I don’t mind a trim, but come on. Don’t I look a little naked?

I kind of needed that t- shirt Mom put on me.

I think my pack may take another trip this summer, but I’m going to lobby for a car trip and someplace I can go too, or maybe not at all!

I think Mom might be weakening on this issue. She took lots of pictures of dogs in New York and says that it was clear that New York is a very doggy friendly place. They even have bronze sculptures of doggy poo in their famous art museums.  If that isn’t dog friendly, I don’t know what is. 

 
Mom says that I would have loved a walk in Central Park. She’s right? I would have, but I don’t need a big fancy park. I just need my family, my neighborhood and my backyard to have an excellent time.

Please do me a favor, fellow doggers!

Please ask Mama to either take me on the next trip or stay home with me.

I really hate it when they leave.

See, here’s my sad face.

Think it’ll work on her? No — Don’t answer that!

Well, I hear her coming with my leash fellow doggers.

Gotta walk!

Smell you later!

Your pal,

Opie

Opie Gives Voice to His Happiness!

Opie – International Verminator!

Hi fellow Doggers,

My fur brother is going off to Australia for a week. I’m going to miss him horribly.

Worse yet, I think they’ve made a horrible mistake in not letting me go with him.

I did some internet research and they have some pretty strange animals down there in “Oz”. They all seem to be some form of vermin. As you know, as a Snorkie, I hate vermin everywhere, especially international vermin. Obviously, I need to go to “Oz” to guard my hu-brother and whittle down their “squirrelishy” vermin population.

Here are some of the squirrelish creatures that my Gregory may encounter. I hope that he’s prepared.  This vermin looks quite interesting to chase, bark at and sink my teeth into.

This giant squirrel like thing appears to be some sort of double vermin.

If I got to chase it, I’d catch two for the effort of one.

That large tail looks like it might be quite fun to bite. Mama says it’s a Kangaroo. Hmm, I think it would rue the day that it met up with me!

Obviously, this grey thing clinging to the tree is some sort of tailless squirrel. I’m not happy about the size of its claws. However, it is certainly “barkworthy!” Mama says it’s a Koala bear, but it looks very “verminish” to me, not bearish at all. That nose looks like it needs my teeth in it. I’m actually pretty sure I saw something like this at the doggy toy store recently.

Undoubtedly, Australians have let their squirrels get completely out of hand. This one is missing his tail and seems to be horribly over fed. I believe there is a seriously low Snorkie population Down Under. More Snorkies equals less fat tailless squirrels. After I get through cleaning up their little continent, they might give me a medal, or at least some neat Australian treats. If it smells like meat, I’ll eat it. This is a wombat according to Mama. Well, watch out Mr. Wombat, it’s time for your wombat butt wompin’ Opie style!

This is some sort of demented looking cat. I have to say the feral cats in my neighborhood are far more handsome. This guy should be a piece of cake to deal with.  I’d make short work of it. Mama says that I shouldn’t even entertain the idea of tangling with this thing. She says it’s a Tasmanian Devil. She obviously hasn’t heard what the big dogs call me at the dog park — Opie the Terminator. When I get through with this devil it will be singing with the angels!

Now this thing looks really fun to chase. In fact, it looks kind of like a toy I already have. Those ears look like a lot of fun to chew on. I bet I can make it really, squeak.

Mama says that this is a Greater Bilby. Well, Bilby here has delusions of grandeur. I’d say he was definitely “lesser” and I’ll be the greater, probably the greatest Snorkie in the world. I just realized that I could gain International status as a Snorkie Verminator.

I hope Gregory is able to keep himself safe from these weird creatures without me to protect him. I am the official family security expert. I even have a uniform. It seems unwise to send him off to some strange place with strange animals without me his trusty snorkie to protect him.

What is Gregory going to do without me?

Actually, what am I going to do without Gregory?

I heard Daddy say he’ll only be gone for a week. 

 Well, fellow doggers you and I both know this “week” is really a a century in doggy time.  ( Sigh)

I think I’ll go sit with Mama.

She looks like she needs a lick and I know I could use  a pet.